


And before we reach the end, I will find a way to love you.

by tsushido



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rarepair, amacha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:13:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24890623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsushido/pseuds/tsushido
Summary: Tenko and Rantaro search around the world for Rantaro's missing sisters.[DISCONTINUED]
Relationships: Amami Rantaro/Chabashira Tenko
Comments: 11
Kudos: 62





	1. Chapter 1

“Please, don’t leave!”

The world began to take shape for Rantaro. Colors and sounds slowly started to focus. There was a sudden sharp pain in his face, forcing him to fully open his eyes. Tenko’s face took up most of his vision. Another hit cleared up his vision even more.

“I’m here, I’m here,” Rantaro said weakly as her lip trembled. He looked down and saw that he seemed to be laying down. Tenko was nearly on top of him. She realized this at the same moment, and her face flushed as he let out a weak chuckle. She immediately scrambled off of him and instead sat at his side, fumbling for something in their medical kit.

Rantaro took some time to look around. They were in a natural shelter somewhere. They were up a little bit higher than he would have expected; he knew Tenko was strong and agile, but he never would have thought she would be able to climb with a limp body weighing her down. 

The memories of what happened just before he blacked out came back. He had been walking through the lush undergrowth, talking a little to Tenko about the sister he was looking for, when suddenly he looked down to see some strange weapon lodged loosely in his leg. He pulled it out and fell to the ground hard, hitting his head and starting to fade out of consciousness. The last thing he remembered was Tenko sending the native hunter flying.

He was drawn back to the present by an odd feeling. She was now looking at his leg. He leaned up slightly to see, and almost wished he hadn’t. His pant leg had a large, jagged tear in it, and he saw more blood than skin.

“Damn. Looks like it hurts.”

“Rantaro, I thought you died! Now isn’t the time! I hate it when you males act like nothing's wrong!” Tenko was not as hysterical as when he was just waking, but she was not particularly levelheaded either.

The wound did hurt, quite a lot. Whatever that hunter had hit him with had done a real number on him. It took everything Rantaro had to keep his cool. He was grateful that he’d learned to keep a calm face even in the worst of perils. 

Meanwhile, Tenko found a bottle of antiseptic. She began to clean the blood away, wincing as she discovered the situation. Rantaro looked at her gently as he dug his painted nails into his fist, being careful not to show his pain. 

“Could you please give me water? I don’t want to pass out again.” 

She passed him her canteen, still trembling. There were a few prints where her blood-covered fingers had grabbed it. 

Tenko’s initial panic started to fade into a steaming annoyance. “I won’t ever understand you. Kiyo told us this jungle was the territory of the tribe that whipped him nearly to death! The same tribe that ties up outsiders and leaves them like that for weeks! I was half inclined to leave you and attack those degenerates,” she fumed.

“Uh, thank you?”

Tenko let out a  _ hmph  _ and turned her chin up. Rantaro didn’t mind her: he knew that he had made a mistake, but also that she was more worried than angry. Now that he was conscious, he wouldn’t be hearing many more kind words unless he coerced them out of her.

She finished cleaning the cut. He looked at it and determined that it would probably need to be stitched up, but aside from that he didn’t see enough damage to warrant extra concern. 

He put on a serious face and looked in the direction of Tenko, deliberately avoiding her gaze. “Tenko… In case I don’t make it…” 

“What!” She looked at him as if she hoped he was joking. 

Thankfully he was. Another chuckle escaped his lips as she stammered something at him. 

“Just messing with you, sorry. Could you pass me the needle and some thread? You, ah, might want to look away, though,” he suggested. He’d fixed his sisters’ clothing before, and he figured this wasn’t different enough to be worried. He started on his work. It felt very uncomfortable, but it was better than the alternative. Tenko kept her eyes averted. As he finished up, he began to speak again. 

“Seriously, thank you. I can’t imagine how I would’ve survived without you. I really do care about you. Oh, and thanks for bearing with me with the medical work. I know you don’t like it much.” He was offhand in his delivery.

“Oh, you’re- Wait! What was that?” Tenko blushed once again. 

“I was just thanking you for being here. You didn’t have to come along.”

“I can’t ignore that your sisters are missing! Did you expect me to not help girls in need? And don’t change the subject!”

“Take it easy, Tenko. You’re getting worked up again.”

“That’s your fault! Not mine!”

Rantaro looked away to hide his grin. 

The next few hours passed with little incident. Tenko took the time to rest, but not before promising Rantaro he would wake her up if he saw anything or if his condition worsened. Rantaro felt his strength building back up a little at a time. When it was finally night, he slowly moved to his sleeping bag in their makeshift shelter. He finally felt like he wouldn’t be in danger of bleeding out when he lost consciousness. He woke Tenko up and she took watch, keeping a hand on his arm to make sure that his pulse would remain regular. He found it comforting for more reasons than one; her hand was strong and somewhat calloused, with many little nicks and cracks built up from years of martial arts. It made him feel safe: he had a flawlessly athletic powerhouse at his side. His hand was also quite strong, but more delicate, with smoother and paler skin. 

As he began to fall asleep, he could have sworn he heard a quiet, tentative voice say “I care about you too.”


	2. Chapter 2

Rantaro sat still as a statue on the ridge overlooking the jungle. A notepad lay at his side, with a complete sketch of the sunrise he’d spent the morning admiring. A cup of tea sat at his side, and his leg lay on a cushion for the moment. It was nearly better, but Tenko insisted he make absolutely sure that everything was fixed before trying to put weight on it, or he would never master Neo-Aikido. She had a point - the stranger’s weapon could have caused damage that neither of them could diagnose.

They had abandoned their initial camp for a higher, more isolated point a few weeks ago, where Tenko used a few fallen trees and some brush to make a home out of a nook in the large rocks that were on the mountain. Tenko had to carry Rantaro on her shoulder for most of the journey, but he had lost a few pounds since they set out and she’d only gotten stronger. Rantaro had made a sort of crutch for himself while Tenko was busy, and he’d used his limited mobility to furnish the interior of their structure. He’d set out their cooking and sleeping gear and made a small interior fire pit. He’d also run a primitive diagnosis on his leg and determined that he probably had a small fracture in a leg bone. He re-bandaged it and made a simple splint from memory.

Presently, Rantaro jumped a little as he saw something in his peripheral vision. He was surprised to find Tenko crouching near him, looking at his drawing. She was very in control of her own body and was able to walk with very little noise - probably a feat she’d learned during her extensive training. 

“You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.” Rantaro quietly said over his shoulder with a small smile. It was even more impressive that she was able to get that close wearing cargo pants, along with a tank top and a vest, all of which held survival gear in their pockets.

“Ah, sorry! Did you stay up all night?” She asked him. 

“No, I just woke up a few hours early. “

“Ah, jeez, did your leg wake you up?”

“Nah. Hasn’t been hurting for some time now, think it might be close to being fully healed. Good timing, since I’m feeling like moving. This detour was not an unpleasant experience, but I would like to be back on the road.”

“Let’s stretch together, then. Your muscles are probably super weak and tight due to underuse.”

Tenko instructed and corrected him on the stretches, moving not just his leg but all of his muscles into strangely relieving positions. “I’m once again impressed. How’d you pick all this up?” Rantaro asked as he lay on his back while Tenko pushed his leg. 

“It’s not anything special, really, cause I need to do this sort of stuff before I do anything really intense, or else I won’t be able to perform tough moves. That’s what Master taught me!” she said enthusiastically. 

They went through a few more stretches together, and Rantaro was quite impressed. He felt more free than he had since he’d been injured. He noticed something.

“Tenko, you’re normally very…” he searched for a word, “ uncomfortable... touching guys, right? And you’ve hardly touched me, even, during this journey. So why are you so comfortable doing it now?”

Tenko stopped stretching and thought for a moment. “Well… normally I don’t like touching degenerate males…” She looked a little unsure of where she was going. “I guess it’s just that from what you’ve told me… you’re a little sketchy, but I can tell that you care about your sisters a lot. No degenerate would go through what you’re going through and keep going for a woman, even if they were family. And you’ve made sure I’m eating enough, and cooked meals for us, and help set up camps instead of making me do all the work even though I could do it on my own, and even practice Neo-Aikido with me sometimes…” She trailed off. “You seem like a good person, even if you are male.”

Rantaro let out a little chuckle. “From you, that means a lot.”

A week and a half later Rantaro’s leg was mostly back to normal and he was able to walk with a walking stick even with his backpack - although, granted, Tenko had taken about a third of the weight, claiming that it wouldn’t be healthy to walk with a large pack. She shouldered the added burden with relative ease and hardly complained at all. Rantaro had finished packing up everything they needed, leaving the structure they’d made intact and adding a few gratuitous supports. He figured that if they had to backtrack, it would suck if they had to rebuild their shelter. 

He looked over at Tenko, who kept forward at a pace he found fast even with the lighter backpack. She was sweating slightly and her well-toned arms and abs were prominent. He looked away, a tinge of red just barely visible on his cheeks . He flexed a little himself - their journey had toughened him up as well. If they had anywhere to bathe other than the streams and access to hygiene products beyond the necessities, he was sure that they would look fantastic. But that wasn’t the type of life Rantaro was interested in for more than a passing second. Here there wasn’t any pretense about anything. He figured Tenko liked it as well, as she hardly complained at all and she was the least needlessly boisterous he’d ever seen her. He guessed that the nearly constant workout along with the lack of people allowed her to channel her energy very well. Indeed, she nearly looked like she was glowing at some points in their journey, and while she still was still quite talkative, it wasn’t as accusatory as it was inquisitive. Despite the constant dull throbbing of his leg, he enjoyed every step of their trek because of her chatter. 


	3. Chapter 3

The sun broke the horizon of the little village that Tenko and Rantaro were currently resting in. As the sunrise shortened the shadows of trees and huts and houses, Rantaro rose from the bed he was sleeping in. When they had arrived the previous night, exhausted, Rantaro had communicated with a stocky man about lodging for the next few nights. He was a little surprised that despite the nearly total isolation from the developed world, they still had places for outsiders to stay. 

He could almost hear what Korekiyo would say if he had decided to accompany them. Something like “these locals are quite hospitable despite their isolation… such a beautiful display of generosity!” Korekiyo would then divulge into some tangent about the local flora or fauna, Rantaro decided. He shook his head after a second. No, Korekiyo would not be so happy. He’d been very explicit about what he thought about this area, and Rantaro had never seen him that upset. _ Rightly so _ , he thought, thinking back to his brush with the hunter.  _ I can’t blame him for not wanting to come, _ he concluded. His mind circled back to how Tenko had had to save him. He still felt a little guilty for putting such a large burden on her.

He stood up and got ready for the day. He heard the sound of the local residents waking and starting their days as well. When he was fully ready, he went over to Tenko’s room. He knocked and received no answer. After another knock, he decided to use the spare key the stocky man had given each of to check on each other. He gently opened the door and peeked in. She was still very asleep. Rantaro decided that she deserved the extra rest and that he would let her be.

He closed and locked her door again. 

He went into the village center, where several people were gathered by the well. He walked over and listened a little, using his talent to try and pick up a little bit more of their language, as it had taken a fair amount of effort to communicate with the stocky man in charge of their lodging. After a couple of minutes he was able to figure out the basics of their speech.

When their conversation lulled, he walked over and began to talk, pulling out an old picture of Tsuyu, the sister he had lost in this region. One man, a youth with darker skin than the rest, told Rantaro she was his girlfriend. When Rantaro asked where she was, the man replied that she had gone with a few others to get water from a different well several miles out yesterday since theirs was not yielding enough, and that she should be back by nightfall. Rantaro invited the man to talk with him further; he thought he would not be a good brother if he did not make sure that Tsuyu’s boyfriend was a gentleman.

“Japanese, right?” the man asked after some conversation about Tsuyu. 

“How’d you know? The people here don’t speak a language that maps are made in.” Rantaro replied. 

“I’m not from here… I’m an outsider like your sister. Name’s Eric Robinson. I was a sailor from England, but a storm blew me overboard and I washed up onshore about… fifty miles from here,” he explained, switching to Japanese. “Walked inland for a while looking for some sort of civilization, and this is what I got. Not a bad place by any means, eh?” 

“Yeah. Any reason that they’re not more connected to modern society?”

“Ah, don’t mention that to them. The outside world knows that this exists, but as far as I’m aware the eggheads assumed this was just a second village of those rope psychos and decided to leave well enough alone. Nobody from outside can understand the language they speak either, so for now it’s just us, the rope psychos, and a whole lotta jungle.”

“My friend and travelling partner was attacked by them when he visited this region,” Rantaro mentioned, remembering when he’d first seen the whip scars webbing Korekiyo’s back. “And I was as well, more recently. If I was alone I would have been toast.” 

“That your guardian angel at your shoulder?” Robinson chuckled. Rantaro looked over his shoulder and nearly fell. Tenko had snuck up on him again.

“Hey! No way am I a guardian angel for any male!” Tenko cried, bringing her arms up in her signature defensive pose. Robinson continued to chuckle at them. “I’m only here because I have to protect Rantaro’s sister!” 

“Ahaha! You were giving him some eyes behind his back, though!” Robinson seemed oblivious of Tenko’s rapidly rising aggression. 

“Grrrr! You degenerate!” She shouted. Suddenly Robinson went flying across the street. He managed an unsteady landing on his feet, still laughing.

“Stand down, Tenko! He’s fine. He seems to be treating my sister well.” Rantaro quietly told Tenko. She deflated a little. 

“I guess I made my point. Are you sure he’s treating your sister OK?” Tenko asked, still in a fighting stance.

“Well… technically no, since I haven’t talked to her-” 

“Then I’m keeping my eye on him!”

The rest of the day transpired without much else to note, save for that Tenko made a point of avoiding standing too close to Rantaro or looking at him for longer than what would be considered appropriate when Robinson was near. As the sun set, Robinson commented about how Tsuyu still wasn’t back. Another hour passed, then another. Soon the moon was overhead and there was still no sign of her or her party. 

There was the sound of crashing branches as a woman barrelled into the village, out of breath and with fear in her eyes. It was not Tsuyu. She shouted that the others had been grabbed by the native hunters and that she’d barely gotten away. 

Robinson and Rantaro shared a look of dread. 

“We’re getting them,” Robinson called to the crowd that had gathered by the woman. He started to jog into the jungle, Rantaro and Tenko close on his heels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name Tsuyu is based off of Tsuyu from BNHA, and Eric Robinson is based off of Prince Eric and Tom Robinson.


	4. Chapter 4

Green and brown and blue merged together in Rantaro’s vision. Robinson and Tenko were about fifteen feet ahead of him. They’d been going at a grueling pace for almost four miles, driven on by adrenaline and necessity. 

“Almost there! Keep it up, Amami!” Robinson was tired as well, but he was stronger than Rantaro. After a few minutes, they started to see a trail of smoke lazily floating upwards. Robinson motioned for them to slow down. 

Another figure, unseen to them, crawled closer towards the trio from his hiding spot. Suddenly a pair of bandaged hands quickly and cleanly rendered their would-be attacker unconscious. But not dead, for Korekiyo Shinguji wanted to avoid tainting his sister’s plane of existence.

The jungle was one of Korekiyo’s least favorite places. It caused the hair he spent so much time on to become messy, it dirtied his boots, and it came with memories. The indiginous souls that had been sacrificed for eons, those of the conquerors who had slaughtered them, and those of the slaves who’d known only work and suffering all coalesced into a symphony of misery that Korekiyo could nearly hear. Not to mention the scars he bore from the less-than-welcoming greeting he received. Yet here he was, in the jungle, minutes away from coming face-to-face with his former captors. But the allure of starting and finishing in the same place had overcome his distaste. When he had heard Rantaro talk of Tsuyu, he had felt Sister’s presence, urging him to make her a new friend. She would be the penultimate, but Rantaro had made things even easier for him. Tenko would be in the perfect position to give to Sister as well, and a fierce, loyal girl like her would complete his hundred in an undeniably beautiful fashion. All he needed was an opportunity... 

Robinson snuck up to the camp site’s guard and wrapped an arm around his neck, with the other covering his mouth at the same moment. He stopped struggling after a few seconds, and Rantaro quickly bound the man’s hands. He would probably be able to escape them, but it would buy them time if things went south. 

Tenko and Rantaro moved over to where Robinson was, where several figures were bound. Rantaro checked their faces, but they were gagged and blindfolded so it was difficult to make out who was who. One, however, had tones of green in her hair. 

“No time for a happy reunion, Rantaro, Eric! Move!” Tenko urged, careful not to raise her voice above a whisper. They both snapped back into the moment as Tenko hoisted the girl onto her shoulder. Rantaro figured that was what she must have looked like carrying him. 

“There’ll be a secondary group on our heels, to recover the rest,” Robinson assured his companions. “They’ll be here in minutes. I had better find a hiding spot to dig into ‘till they get here. Go with your girls,” he added to Rantaro as Tenko set off into the woods. “Never know what’s stalking you in the jungle. Better that she has some kinda cover.”

“Gotcha,” Rantaro said as he set off after them. Suddenly he heard crashing -  _ the secondary group must be arriving soon!  _ He took a look back and was filled with dread. The hunters were alert and ready and Robinson was in the open. They instantly converged on him, weapons drawn. 

“I’ll hold them off! GO!” Robinson shouted over his shoulder. Rantaro felt obligated to help the man, but he was right. Rantaro had to protect Tsuyu and Tenko. 

Tenko stopped by a waterfall to rest. Tsuyu was not incredibly heavy, but carrying her for miles was no easy task. At least, that’s what Korekiyo assumed, given that he’d struggled to keep up with her without revealing himself, even with the added weight. Now was his chance. He looked at the bladed weapon he’d taken from the native earlier. A tool, and a reason. Nobody would ever know he was here. He did pity Rantaro, but Sister’s wrath was a much greater motivator.

He dove out of the bushes when Tenko’s back was turned. She wheeled around, but before she could do anything other than block his strike he tackled her into the cave that led behind the waterfall. 

They both struggled in the water, thrashing around to find air and land. Korekiyo emerged on a dark shore deeper in the cave. There was some sort of slope or dropoff near the waterfall that Korekiyo didn’t account for that had sent them both deeper. He didn’t dare turn on a light, but he knew that Tenko wouldn’t either: they were deadlocked. 

Rantaro rushed to follow the two girls, but he was taken aback by how fast Tenko was. He rounded a bend to see a stream with a waterfall. There lay his sister, alone but still bound. He made his way to her side and pulled out his survival knife. He quickly cut away her ropes. Her eyes, weary at first, became alert when she realized who she was looking at. 

“Am I hallucinating?”

“No, Tsu. I came back for you.” He shifted his vision to the cave. He knew Tenko wouldn’t leave her side voluntarily, and his instinct was leading him to the cave. “Did you hear or see anything weird minutes ago?”

“Something like someone being hit. But how did you find me? Why-” 

“Tsu, I need to go help someone important to me. Go back to the village. It’s safest for you,” Rantaro said. “I love you.” With those words he walked into the cave and slid down the sheet of rock, into the darkness.

Korekiyo picked up the tiniest sound from his left. A whimper.  _ Oh, Tenko.  _ A little smile played across his thin lips underneath the mask.  _ You should’ve trained your pain tolerance. _ He moved like a ghost to where the sound came from. He could make out the form sitting on the rock, holding its hand. He pounced. Before the girl knew what had happened she was pinned. He held the blade of his weapon to her throat. He could sense the panic setting into her. She started to struggle, and he pressed the blade tighter against her throat. He could nearly see the tears welling up in her eyes as a tiny cut on her pristine skin was made. 

“Rantaro!” Tenko suddenly called, like a wounded animal. He heard something sliding. He was about to cut her throat, but it took a moment too long to register. Rantaro? Why would Tenko call for help from any man? Tenko was desperate enough to start struggling again. A light flashed at her face. The light got closer and closer until suddenly a boot was silhouetted in it. Korekiyo felt the wet smack hit him square in the head, and that was all that Tenko needed to throw him off. He skittered out of the way and threw his weapon, desperate.

Rantaro saw the weapon fly towards Tenko, who was still getting up. He stepped into the way. He was somewhat lucky - the blade glanced off of his flashlight, but the hilt hit his eyebrow hard. Blood tricked into his eye as he tried to restart his flashlight, but the assailant came towards him. Suddenly he heard a swift  _ whoosh _ followed by a thud. The figure toppled back. Tenko kicked it again to ensure that it was unconscious. Rantaro’s flashlight lit the attacker up.

Rantaro couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Korekiyo?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha korekiyo time


	5. Chapter 5

Rantaro burst through the waterfall. He looked towards where he’d come from. The villagers were still skirmishing with the tribe. He didn’t see Robinson. 

He ran towards the fight, being sure to keep out of the way of the combat - this wasn’t his fight. He scanned the scene. By the stream, somebody was being held down in the water by a massive brute. Rantaro recognized Eric’s large, dark arms thrashing at his attacker from under the water.

Rantaro saw a branch that was about as sturdy as a bat. He lifted one end of it above his head and moved close enough to use it. The humongous man was too concentrated to notice the Japanese teenager swinging the branch until it hit him square in the forehead. He toppled back like a falling tree. The rest of the attackers, realizing their champion was out of the fight, tore away to the woods, melting in with the shadows.

Rantaro dragged Robinson out of the stream as the villagers untied their own. He wasn’t breathing.

“Damn!” Rantaro cursed under his breath, then regained his composure. He started to administer CPR. He was lucky: Robinson started coughing up water shortly after. The stocky englishman took a few breaths and sat up. Rantaro helped him up.

“That’s two I owe you now. Me and my girl-your sister-would both be in pretty nasty situations if it weren’t for you. Thanks, mate.” Robinson’s typical carefreeness had been shelved for weariness. 

Rantaro helped him up. “If you didn’t stand in their way a couple minutes ago they’d have gotten all three of us. You’re down to one. And I’ve got a situation I need help with. Personal business.”

They walked back to the waterfall. Tenko had managed to get Korekiyo out of the cave on her own, and now she sat a little ways away from him, holding her left hand, which was gently shaking.

“Robinson, would you please tie up that man there?” Rantaro pointed to his friend.

“Got rope?”

Rantaro handed him some. “I have to look after her.” He gestured to Tenko. Robinson raised an eyebrow and flashed him a cheeky smile, his attitude returned. 

Rantaro squatted down and gently took her hand. She winced slightly as he did. He tested each of her fingers, doing his best to be careful. When he got to her middle finger, she gasped a little and involuntarily withdrew her arm. 

“I think you broke your middle finger,” he said.

“That makes sense. When Kiyo tackled me, we both landed kind of weird.”

“May I bandage it for you?

He took her hand again and wrapped her ring finger and middle finger together, along with a pair of small sticks to form a rudimentary splint. “It seems like a very small break, so it should be healed in about three weeks.”

“Thank you,” she said. Rantaro noticed that she hadn’t let go of his hand. They sat there like that for a few minutes, until Robinson called over that he was ready to get moving.

When Korekiyo awoke he was bound to something. The room was dark, with only a few candles lit for light. He began to shake uncontrollably. A figure with a whip was swirling in his vision. 

“Sister! HELP!” he cried in vain. He couldn’t summon her because his hands were bound.

He looked down at his ropes to untie the knot the rope cult usually used. He was perplexed to find that it was no such knot, but a sailor’s style, that bound him.

“Morning, sleepyhead.” The figure became more clear. It did not have a whip. He looked with surprise as he realized it was his friend. Rantaro looked back at him with his usual poker face. Korekiyo took another look around the place and could make out a few more figures. He decided to play it cool.

“What is the meaning of this? I assume you’re not with the cult.”

Rantaro laughed drily. “No, certainly not. We just need to figure something out. A little talk between men, you hear me?”

“I see. What knowledge do you seek?”

“I have to know why you decided to try for my sister’s life. And for Tenko’s.”

_ Damn. That  _ was _ him in the cave. _ “I see. What will happen to me when you find out?”

“I don’t know. I assume you’ll serve a prison sentence, unless you have a very compelling argument.”

“I was so close…” he whispered, not talking to anyone.

“What was that?”

“I apologize, Amami. I had a duty to fulfill for someone very close to me.”

“Who? Was it by chance the sister you called for earlier?”

“Indeed. I would like to speak to her. Would you be so kind as to lower my mask?”

He saw his classmate shake his head. “What did they do to you at that cult?”

They were silent.

“I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to perform an exorcism on you.” Rantaro said. 

“But-”

“But nothing. Tough luck for you, friend.” He shook his head, with a look of disappointment on his face. “We have a busy day ahead of us.”

Rantaro walked into his room, exhausted. Korekiyo aside, who knew that an exorcism would take that much out of  _ him _ ? He flopped down onto his bed. After a minute or two there was a knock on his door. 

“Come in,” he said wearily. It was Tenko. He would be surprised if he was less tired.

“I never really got to give you a real thank you. For saving me in the cave,” she said tentatively.

“Don’t worry about it,” he mumbled. 

“No, I’m going to. You’ve been hiding a lot of emotions about this whole thing, and I don’t even need to throw you to tell!” 

“What does this all boil down to?”

“Well, I figure that the least I can do for you is help you clean yourself up. You’re still covered in mud and you haven’t washed the blood from your face.”

Rantaro felt his eyebrow. The injury had stopped bleeding, but the blood had dried on his temple and cheek, and a few spots had gotten onto his shirt. “It was a busy day.”

“It definitely was. But we did it! We found your sister! Now put these on.” She grabbed a fresh set of clothes that she’d left at the door. 

“How do you keep that same level of energy every hour you’re awake?” he grumbled to himself as he changed out of his messy clothes while she waited outside. When he was finished she came back in with water and a towel. He washed his face, the day’s troubles seeming to wash away with the grime. He let Tenko help clean his hair, since she said she knew how to do it very well. When all was done he looked cleaner than he had in weeks. 

“All right, that’s done. I’ll let you catch up with your sister now.” Tenko smiled at him, still full of energy. “I’m very happy, Rantaro! I was able to help save a cute girl!” 

“Guess that bed will have to wait, you’re right. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

Rantaro walked out of his room, looking up to the fading stars as daybreak was nearing. He’d had a nice talk with Tsuyu for a few hours into the night, and she’d agreed to come home with them for a visit with their parents. She’d be taking Eric Robinson with, of course. In addition, he made plans for the people of the village to create means of communication with the world. And keeping him from bed another hour was checking in with Korekiyo. When he’d finally gotten to rest, he’d slept for a few hours before he began to feel restless. 

He saw a figure sitting on her own, watching where the sun would rise. He walked to her.

“Can’t sleep?”

“Nope.” Tenko had clearly slept a little too well two nights ago. He knew that she was unusually energetic compared to the average person, but this was superhuman. 

“So…” he started. “I talked to Korekiyo. He’s not as bad. Apparently he’s spent most of his time since the exorcism reflecting. He’s decided that he needs more time to redeem himself to all of us, and that he won’t be doing much anthropology or travelling. I didn’t pry, but I think he’ll repent for his actions in his own strange way,” He sat down near her.

She was stony-faced. Obviously she’d be angry.

“What this means for me is that I’m down a travelling partner. I can’t let him near any of my other sisters for the sake of my own sanity, but you’ve proven yourself trustworthy. So, are you willing to replace him?”

Tenko started. “What? Me? Spend more time with y-looking for your sisters?”

“Huh?” He was still tired enough that he didn’t catch her slip-up.

“Yeah, I’d love to do that! Spending more time helping you look for your sisters sounds great!” She gave him an awkward half-hug before quickly letting go. 

“Alright,” Rantaro said, yawning. “I think I’m gonna go back to bed now. I just needed to clear my head.” He had no idea how pleased he had made Tenko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the first arc is done. When I started writing this, I didn’t have much of a plan but what I’ve decided is that each of Rantaro’s sisters are going to have some sort of entanglement with one of his classmates. There’ll be two exceptions: Tenko (obviously) and one other who I haven’t decided on. It might be Kaede, or maybe I’ll do two characters in one arc. I hope yall are enjoying this, I’m trying to insert romantic moments while making sure to not to make the pacing too fast. Please let me know what you think, and I’ll adjust accordingly assuming you’re being reasonable. I’ll probably be writing an epilogue featuring Rantaro and Korekiyo, so watch out for that. Until next week.


	6. Epilogue 1

“Damn!” Rantaro’s foot slipped as the rocks under his foot gave way. A bandaged hand was already outstretched for him to grasp as he stabilized himself on the mountainside. He got himself into a secure position and looked up at his companion. 

Korekiyo’s catlike eyes looked back at him. “Be more cautious. The beauty of the peak would be tainted somewhat by your death.”

“I was gonna thank you before you made that remark,” the adventurer muttered as he pulled himself up. 

“No need. I’m still in your debt, after all.”

Rantaro’s thoughts wandered back to his sister’s village. His memories of the exorcism were primal and chaotic, limited to emotion more than reality. The first cohesive memory he held after it began was stumbling out of the room they’d been in, and the first cohesive thought was something along the lines of  _ If we weren’t as close as brothers before, we sure as hell are now. _ That thought had been tumbling around in the back of his head since. 

He suspected the same was true for Korekiyo. He was a changed man. When they’d met two weeks after they had left the jungle, he had drastically altered his wardrobe. He’d swapped his forest green uniform for more casual clothes, and he’d changed the color of his accessories to blue in addition to redesigning the emblems. The mask was still present, but Rantaro knew habits didn’t die quickly. 

The two men kept at the path for another hour before it levelled out. They’d reached the peak of the mountain.

“Never gets old, huh?” Rantaro said, looking to the horizon.

“Never.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Korekiyo spoke up. “A good last journey together, my friend. I will cherish this moment.”

“Likewise,” Rantaro affirmed. “So… what’s next for you?”

“Exile. Although, that alone is too simple a fate. I also have an additional plan…” Korekiyo trailed off.

“May I ask that you elaborate?” 

“I have ruined hundreds of lives. Not just the lives I took, but their families… their friends…” He paused. “Therefore, I must become a guardian angel for as many lives as I ruined. I cannot erase my sins - those families and friends will never know the happiness they could have - but I can bring as much happiness to others as I have taken away. I am still young enough to see that through.”

“Well said. I wish you the best.” Rantaro got up.

“One more topic to discuss. I know you’ve chosen Miss Chabashira as my replacement.”

“That would be correct,” Rantaro said, unsure of where Korekiyo was going.

“She works well with you. Take that as you will,” he said evenly. Rantaro was sure he was smiling under the mask, even if his eyes hardly betrayed a thing. 

“I like to think I know how to pick ‘em. Take that as you will,” Rantaro quipped with a chuckle, before turning to walk down the path. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To start: My apologies for the brief period of inactivity, I wasn’t motivated to write. I generally do things on a “when I feel like it” basis, but I promise I won’t leave you all with unfinished business.  
> In other news, there’s an amacha week on Instagram! The hashtag is #amachaweek2020. Go show the artists some love, or make some art yourselves.  
> Next arc will probably focus on Ryoma, or maybe Kaede! I haven’t picked yet and I have loose plans for both. If you have a preference let me know so I can deliver!  
> I’m so glad that this fic is getting attention, and I greatly appreciate all you fans.  
> That’s all for now!


	7. Chapter 7

A pair of figures walked through the decrepit alleyway that led to the local club. Autumn had begun to chill the air and turn the leaves since Rantaro and Tenko had returned from the jungle, and the sudden shift from the humid, sun-soaked air to the cooler, drier climate had caused them to wear more than was arguably appropriate.  _ Given our destination _ , Rantaro thought,  _ that’s probably a good thing.  _

“I’m not looking forward to this,” Tenko huffed.

“Just stay close to me. Don’t let anybody touch you or hand you anything.” Rantaro rehearsed what the contact had told him. “We shouldn’t encounter any trouble, but if we do hold back until it’s absolutely necessary.”

“Right.” They’d arrived at the club. The line to get in was rather long, but Rantaro’s family held enough status for that not to be an issue. The bouncer waved them in. 

Alcohol and perfume were the first two smells that the pair encountered. Tenko made a face. The music was loud and the lights were dim. Men and women in suits and dresses both cheap and expensive were scattered with lowlives and escorts chatting them up. A few of each category looked their way, but were dissuaded by the icy glare of Tenko. They made their way to a stairway, then to a higher platform. A suited woman sat near the edge of the platform in the far corner, watching the dancers as she idly picked at some bar food. 

“That’s our lady,” Rantaro told Tenko. They walked over and sat at the adjacent table. Rantaro tapped the device he’d hidden in his ear, with Tenko doing the same. It was an extremely close-range radio his contact had given him in their last meeting.

“Any reason we’re not doing this in a nicer place?” Tenko whispered. 

“It’s private and it has witnesses. I don’t want either of you to get shot.”

“Anyways, what’s your information?” Rantaro quickly diverted.

“Prisoner T51414. They’re the lead you need. Prison is 40 miles north and 6 east. Tell them that Mittens is alright and they’ll help you.”

“That’s all?” Rantaro asked. 

“Get going. Guy coming in has a pistol, he’s looking for me. Not your fight.”

The two got up and made their way casually towards an emergency exit as several shots rang out. “Is she going to be OK?” Tenko asked. 

“If she isn’t, nothing we can do. At least, nothing that won’t bring trouble onto us. She takes on some sketchy jobs from time to time. I helped her with one a year or two ago, and she owed me the favor.” He paused. “But she’s good. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“If you say so.” They hurried away from the club, blending into the crowd of others fleeing the scene.

Rantaro thought about the message he’d been given as the train Tenko and him were taking left the station. The leads he’d been following were rather vague until now. He’d narrowed it down to a prisoner before the message, but no dice beyond that. The legal system wasn’t helping, either. Technically he didn’t have a legal right to try and contact any prisoner, and the government was more of a hindrance than a help in this instance. 

Tenko interrupted his thoughts. “So… What are we going to do once we get to that prison?”

“Hard to say. I can probably find places to hide from prying eyes, but actually getting in or talking with them might require some creativity.” He looked at the information he’d gleaned about the complex. “It’s coed, medium security, and mainly houses people convicted of manslaughter or murder.” 

“Sounds like a really wonderful place.”  
“I’m sure it is. We’re gonna have to be a little careful.”

The rest of their commute was without incident. They arrived in the town where the prison was and walked towards it, taking in the surrounding area. Rantaro picked out a couple of useful locations where they could satisfy their basic needs. There were a few corner stores with food and bathrooms, public water fountains, and alleyways which offered enough cover and privacy for shelter. 

“Why all the secrecy? Can’t we just rent a room?” Tenko asked. “Wait, not like that. Just like, uh, why are you planning to sleep in an alley and not a hotel?”

“If we have to do something illegal, I don’t want to leave an obvious trail. My goal isn’t to get tossed into jail.” He realized how bad that sounded after he said it. “Oh right. If you want to opt out, now would be the time. There’s a ferry about eight miles to the east.”

“I’ll stay. I’d be kind of a bad travelling companion if I ditched you when things get tough, right?” 

Rantaro laughed. “Guess so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New arc! Not much else to report. There’s been a lot of bad stuff happening in the Danganronpa fandom, but I try and keep out of it. So here’s a couple bits of advice for readers related to all that. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion about characters, but try and learn to read a character both deeply and at a surface level, since doing only one or the other will give you an improper assessment more often than not. Also, oftentimes there are characters that I love that have major mistakes in their writing, so it’s important to distinguish the difference between a fault on the character’s part and a fault on the author’s part. Regardless, it's good to learn to enjoy things, even if there’s parts you don’t like. Don’t feel a need to justify things you do or don’t like, since doing that results in pointless arguments. Also, don’t be afraid to leave a fandom if you don’t like it - leaving does not mean that you can’t enjoy it still.   
> With that little message out of the way, I guess that’ll be all for today. Hope you enjoy, and I’ll reiterate that I’m very thankful for all the support!


	8. Chapter 8

“Prisoner T51414. You have visitors.”

The prisoner sat up on his bed. Who the hell was taking time out of their life to say hello in this miserable place? Not family, nor friends. Maybe a fan of his former self, though he didn’t believe anyone would bother coming all the way here to see a mass murderer on his way to death row. He sighed heavily and put what he was thinking about aside, composing himself.

Rantaro was more than a bit surprised to see the man who walked up to the divide. They both picked up their phones. 

“I have a few questions for you, Ryoma.”

His former classmate let out a chuckle. “I was gonna say the same line. Judging from your tone, you’re not here out of goodwill, are you?”

“Regrettably, no. I’m looking for someone and I was told you had the information I needed.” Rantaro held up a picture of his sister. 

“I’ve seen a girl who looks like her in here. She’s still on trial. I don’t think she’s allowed to see anyone. Supposedly she planted a bomb in a convention hall.” Ryoma adjusted his hat, his dark eyes searching Rantaro’s poker face. “Killed 38 and 4 people are in critical condition. You sure you know what you’re dealing with?”

“That can’t be right,” Rantaro murmured to himself. Kugie wasn’t the type to kill anything bigger than a bug. The buzzer rang, indicating their time was up. “Thanks for your help, regardless.”

“Always happy to be of service.” Ryoma stood up and walked out of the room, escorted by two guards. 

Rantaro exhaled, frustrated. He wasn’t unhappy with the information that his sister was imprisoned as much as the fact that he now had to figure out what the hell her situation was. He got up and walked out to tell Tenko the news. 

They spent the next few hours skimming through articles and the news, trying to gather other information about the situation. It was terribly boring work, as many of the rumors about the bombing were contradictory or unproven. In addition, there were a few articles profiling Kugie. She had spent the years after being separated from her family learning to survive in an unfamiliar city, and she’d committed petty crimes to get by while working as a freelancer for local gangs due to her age being prohibited from conventional jobs. Even with this rather unsavory knowledge, Rantaro found it hard to believe that she’d graduated from shoplifting to terrorism. 

Tenko was just as confused as he was. “This doesn’t make any sense! The bombing can’t have taken place at six because the convention hall wasn’t even open!” She closed the article she was looking at with force. “I think this is a waste of time. Prisons have outdoor rec time, right? Why don’t we just try and find Ryoma or her then? You hardly got to talk to him at all!”

“That’s an idea worth considering. It’s a little risky, and definitely delving into illegal, but we aren’t exactly in a knowledgeable position. Maybe he knows something we don’t know yet and couldn’t say in front of the guards?” Rantaro was thinking out loud. 

“I’ll scout it out. I’m more quiet than you, and if I get caught I think I’d be able to make a clean getaway.” Tenko got up, searching for a hint of approval within Rantaro. 

“Be cautious. You might have to sneak in somehow. I doubt they let mass murderers hang out near their outer fences.”

“Okay. I think I got a pretty good look at the grounds when we went in, so I hope that’ll be enough for things to work out.” She giggled slightly, bursting with energy “This is just like one of those action movies!”

“Have fun, I suppose.” He got up from his computer and walked towards the library’s exit. She followed suit. “Please, don’t get caught.”

In the early hours of the morning, Rantaro awoke to Tenko shaking him. 

“Are you awake?” she whispered.

“Now I am. Got any news?”

She beamed at him, oblivious to his grogginess. “I found a way to get to their recreational field! I went really slow, which is why I took so long, but there are a couple of really convenient spots that I could squeeze through to get past fences, and there are enough blind spots to get by. The architect and warden were practically asking for someone to sneak in and out! This’ll be a piece of cake!”

Rantaro yawned. “Since you went out of your way to say it’s easy I’m sure it won’t be,” he said dryly. 

“Oh, don’t be so negative. This is gonna be a lot easier than last time. Especially since we don’t have a serial killer stalking us.”

“Now you’re just asking for trouble.” He laughed.

“Saying it like that makes me nervous!”

“You’re the one who brought it up. Anyways, I’m going back to sleep. If we’re gonna pull this off we’d better be on edge.” He layed back down and was soon back into the clutches of unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week, another part. I’ll be headed back to school soon, so I might slow down a little bit with the writing, but I’ll do what I can to keep on track. I’ve definitely been in a motivational slump recently, so I haven’t really been pushing myself to write a lot. Hopefully I can restore enough passion and energy to do all the work I should be spending my time doing.   
> On a slightly different note, this is one of the last remaining links I have to Danganronpa in my life. I thank you all for being so kind in the comments and for enjoying this work, for it is one of the sole reasons I still let the fandom have my time. Even if this is the only thing tethering me to the fandom (which it soon may well be) I will continue to write it, because I feel that the writers of V3 did a disservice to these characters and they are worthy of a story that stands up to my standards. That’s just my opinion, though, and I have no quarrel with people who really like Danganronpa. Unless they annoy me for a different reason, of course.  
> On that note, have a wonderful weekend. Do something nice for someone. Be kind to people, and listen both to what they say and what they mean. Until next week!


	9. Chapter 9

As Tenko promised, it was a piece of cake to get past the outer fence. The floodlights cutting through the foggy afternoon didn’t catch their shadows as they hurried past the obstructions meant to hinder any attempted escapees. They weren’t intended to stop anyone from sneaking in, and they were child’s play for the duo. On only one occasion did they get close to getting caught, where Tenko had to tackle Rantaro into a hidden ditch they were luckily passing as a guard passed on. While they were huddling in the earth, a small part of Rantaro had secretly hoped the guard would post there for a few minutes longer as he felt her breath near his neck. 

Presently they were almost there. Tenko waved Rantaro into an easily missable alcove. There was a hole in the reinforced concrete. Evidently someone earlier had tried to chip through for freedom, but was stopped by the rebar hiding within the wall. They had chipped away the concrete on the other side as well, which seemed futile. Rantaro wondered if he wasn’t the first to be here to talk to someone. 

Tenko crouched down and looked through the crisscross of metal into the courtyard. A sheet of moss and dead leaves was thick around the cavity due to a nearby drain, shielding the hole to the untrained eye.  _ These guards are really incompetent, _ he thought as he crouched close behind her.  _ Let’s hope they don’t wisen up.  _

Ryoma was standing to the side of a court as two pairs of inmates hit a ball back and forth, making banter as they did so. “I think he’s playing ref,” Tenko whispered. 

Rantaro paused, thinking. “How are we supposed to get his attention?” 

“Hmmm, that’s a problem. Maybe we should throw something?”

Rantaro pulled out his compass and a pen, two tools he’d learned to keep on his person at all times. “I have an idea. Do you have anything to write on?

Tenko thought for a second. “My undershirt is white. I could tear off a piece, maybe,” She looked at him strangely for a moment. 

“What?”

“Don’t look at me! That’d be weird.”

“Ah.” He turned away. 

Ryoma heard a small clatter near his foot. He looked around and quickly found what looked like a small metal circle (It wasn’t difficult, since he was so low to the ground). He picked it up right as the ball went out of bounds. 

“Yo, Killer Tennis, that’s our point, right?” This remark was immediately and enthusiastically rebuked by the other team. 

“I got distracted right as it went out of bounds. Sorry ‘bout that. I’m gonna take a break, just play another round to decide whose point it was.” 

“Yeah, man, don’t worry about it!” They immediately resumed their fierce and friendly back-and-forth. 

He took out the disc and checked it. It had a small notch on the side. He popped it open and a piece of fabric fell out. There was writing on it. 

_ Gonna need this back. SW _

“Southwest, huh?” Ryoma murmured as he pointed the compass in the right direction. He realized there was only one person he knew who carried a compass. When he reached the wall, he felt along the mossy surface until a hole in the wall caught his fingers. 

He slipped the compass through the hole, which was blocked by a grid of bars. “Rantaro. Didn’t think I’d be seeing you again.”

“I was worried I wouldn’t. Guess my luck holds out for now, huh?” 

“I’d say so. But why bother coming back for me? My final verdict is in about 36 hours. It’s either gonna be a life sentence or death row,” he said, shaking his head. He crossed his arms. “Even if I wanted out, there’s nobody and nowhere that would want to take me in-“

“Ryoma! Get a hold of yourself! You’re acting pathetic.” A harsh voice hissed. “Do you really think we’re just gonna let you rot? You and his sister are coming with us!” 

Ryoma knew he couldn’t change Tenko’s mind. Once she was set on doing something, she would do it. “If you insist. But we’ve got a ways to go before that happens. Your sister’s actually gonna be charged after my trial. It’s happening at a courtroom down the street.” He glanced back at the guards. They were busy yelling at the tennis players, who had apparently hit someone with the ball. “I have an idea on how to get out. I was never gonna use it, and I wasn’t gonna give it to anyone else, since most people in here are trouble.”

“We’d better get going soon,” Rantaro’s voice was grim. “May I ask that you handle getting the information about this plan to my sister?”

“You’d put that kinda trust into the hands of a guy like me?” Though his face was still emotionless, Ryoma was touched. 

“I will. I trust you.” Ryoma heard him start moving away, presumably back out of the prison. Tenko stayed for a moment. 

“We’ll handle our exit route,” Tenko assured him. “And if you aren’t there, I’ll throw caution to the wind to get you out.” 

Ryoma sighed. He knew she meant it. “Don’t keep me waiting. I don’t wanna botch this. Be at the next parking lot over from the courthouse, it’s an office building, in something inconspicuous. We’re not gonna have a large window of time, and any suspicion will close it.”

“Understood.” With that, she slipped away silently. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the wait! I lost motivation for a bit. I’m gonna try and post every two to three weeks instead of roughly every week because of school.  
> What ended up getting me to finish this chapter was a wave of hate. On tiktok, a lot of cosplayers suddenly decided that the idea that Tenko could be bi is lesbophobic. Needless to say, I don’t care about what they think. If you’re reading this and for some reason you hate bi Tenko, go do something more productive. It doesn’t matter in the end. You shouldn’t care. Danganronpa is not a well written series (in my opinion), and Tenko is a great example of why I think that. I’m not gonna bother engaging in a petty argument about something that has no effect on anything. In conclusion, spite is a powerful motivator.  
> In general, let this dumb hate wave be a lesson. You can like something a lot, but learn to separate yourself from it to a degree. Some of the people in these arguments are in their twenties. Of course, you can be passionate about things as you age, but if you’re an adult and you’re getting pissed off by children saying things about a mystery game for teens, you should consider the possibility that you’re not being as mature as you perceive yourself to be.  
> Also, to extend a little, I’d advise you all to not center your identity around labels. I’ll admit that this is somewhat subjective, and a touch self-serving, but I think that when you do that, you box yourself in and become very narrow minded. Don’t think about things as part of a certain group - think about things as yourself, as a person, an individual opinion. Be an individual in the true sense of the word, because there are a lot of people who think that dressing in a certain way, having a certain hobby, or being a part of a certain group is all that it takes to be individualistic and unique.  
> That will conclude my rant. I hope you all appreciate the advice I give. Even if you don’t take it to heart, or dislike it, I hope that you keep it in your mind and ruminate about it every now and then for the sake of open-mindedness. With that, I’m out. Have a pleasant weekend!

**Author's Note:**

> i'm posting this for my friend since they don’t have ao3


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